Shetland star shares what made Outlander such a success in the beginning

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room /
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Outlander has become a global success. There is certainly no doubt about it. What made it this, though? Shetland star, Douglas Henshall, shares his thoughts.

Outlander has definitely become a global success. While it may not be as big as the likes of Game of Thrones or Westworld, it’s still grown bigger with each year. In Season 3 alone the audience grew by 45% and that’s certainly not normal for a TV show. What exactly contributes to that success? Shetland star, Douglas Henshall, has his thoughts, according to the Express.

Henshall is now known as DI Jimmy Perez, starring in Shetland since it started in 2013. However, Outlander fans will recognize him as Taran MacQuarrie, the leader of the Watch. He met a grizzly end after being caught by the British Army and sent to Wentworth Prison in the very first season. The show certainly wasn’t as big then, but he believes there was one reason it’s become so big.

It all certainly comes down to money. Henshall shares that it was the budget that set Outlander ahead of the rest. With a big budget, the crew had more leeway with the things they did. The graphics could be better and the costumes could be glamorous.

Outlander Season 3
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room /

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This shouldn’t be that surprising. The budget is large for a period drama, and there have been numerous times that money has become a hindrance even to Outlander. However, it’s certainly been afforded a bigger budget than other shows.

It’s not clear just how much one episode of Outlander costs to film, but one episode of Timeless cost $4 million with all the different costumes. Over the years, Outlander may have been able to keep some costs down since not as many costumes have been needed. They’ve been repurposed, just like they would have in the past!

While money certainly would have had something to do with it, many fans believe that it’s the chemistry Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have on screen. The script writing has also helped to develop the book series and bring everything to life.

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What do you think contributes to Outlander‘s success? Do you agree with Henshall? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Follow Claire and Jamie on Twitter for more updates about Outlander.